As the value and use of information continues to increase, individuals and businesses seek additional ways to process and store information. One option available to users is information handling systems. An information handling system generally processes, compiles, stores, and/or communicates information or data for business, personal, or other purposes thereby allowing users to take advantage of the value of the information. Because technology and information handling needs and requirements vary between different users or applications, information handling systems may also vary regarding what information is handled, how the information is handled, how much information is processed, stored, or communicated, and how quickly and efficiently the information may be processed, stored, or communicated. The variations in information handling systems allow for information handling systems to be general or configured for a specific user or specific use such as financial transaction processing, airline reservations, enterprise data storage, or global communications. In addition, information handling systems may include a variety of hardware and software components that may be configured to process, store, and communicate information and may include one or more computer systems, data storage systems, and networking systems.
Some information handling systems may require debugging and/or emulation of code running on one or more CPUs of such systems. Typically, CPUs may have an In-Target Probe (ITP) port that allows BIOS, Driver, OS, and/or hardware developers to debug, step through, trace and set breakpoints in code running on the CPUs. In some situations, through the ITP, developers may obtain full access to registers in the CPUs and chipset(s) through a JTAG-like interface. Emulation/debugging boxes designed to provide this function may connect to a local client via an interface such as USB or Ethernet, and to the header or connector coupled to the CPU(s) of the system being emulated/debugged.
For example, as shown in FIG. 1, an information handling system 10 (such as a server or PC, for example) may include a CPU 12 located on a motherboard, an ITP header or connector 14 coupled to CPU 12, a remote management card (or remote access card) 16, and any other various computer components. ITP header 14 may be coupled to the motherboard along with CPU 12 and provides a connection for connecting an external emulation/debugging system 18 to CPU 12 for emulating, debugging or otherwise probing or testing information handling system 10. For example, information handling system 10 may be debugged during the development of information handling system 10 and/or during the initial start-up of information handling system 10.
Emulation/debugging system 18 may include an emulating/debugging box 20 coupled to ITP header 14 by one or more cables 22, and coupled to a local client 24 (e.g., a server or PC) via an interface such as USB or Ethernet. Emulating/debugging box 20 may include software and/or hardware suitable for communicating with CPU 12 via ITP header 14 in order to provide emulation, debugging, or other probing or testing functionality for information handling system 10. A developer or technician may operate local client 24 to control emulation/debugging box 20 to provide the desired emulation/debugging functionality.
Typically, the ITP header 14 and associated logic are depopulated once a new system goes into production, such as to save cost and/or board space on the consumer products. Thus, in order to debug a consumer-distributed information handling system 10, appropriate ITP connector(s) and circuit(s) need to be soldered or otherwise connected to the motherboard near the CPU(s) that need to be accessed by an external emulation/debugging system 18, which may be time consuming and cumbersome, particularly in dense systems in which the CPU heat sink and voltage regulators are relatively large.